The man who tackled one of the gunmen at Bondi Beach told CBS News his only objective was to save innocent lives.
"I couldn't handle it, to hear kids, and the women, and oldest, and men, screaming and asking for help," Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Muslim who gained his Australian citizenship five years ago, told the news outlet.
"My target was just to take the gun from him and to stop him from killing a human being's life and not killing innocent people. I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost."
Al Ahmed hid behind parked cars before charging at one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his weapon and knocking him to the ground.
He suffered gunshot wounds after apparently being fired on by the second gunman and had to undergo five surgeries.
"I jumped in his back, hit him," the father of two said of the moment he tackled the shooter.
"I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word, you know, like to warn him, drop your gun, stop doing what you're doing, and it's come all in fast.
"And emotionally, I'm doing something, which is I feel something, a power in my body, my brain. … I don't want to see people killed in front of me, I don't want to hear his gun, I don't want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help, and that's my soul asking me to do that.
"Everything in my heart, in my brain, everything, it's worked just to manage to save the peoples' life."
Fifteen people were killed and dozens were wounded two weeks ago after two gunmen opened fire at people celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights at the famous beach.
Authorities allege a 50-year-old father, who was shot dead by police, and his 24-year-old son, who was critically wounded, carried out the attack.
Al Ahmed received a check for more than $1.65 million on Dec. 19, after tens of thousands of people contributed to a donation website.
Al Ahmed, 43, left his hometown in Syria's northwest province of Idlib nearly 20 years ago to seek work in Australia.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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